What is the ruling on gathering to break the fast and agreeing to fast?
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The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah bless you, regarding an issue with some educators concerning the matter of fasting.
The Shaykh : What?
The Shaykh : An issue with some educators of the youth regarding fasting itself.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : It was mentioned to you, O Shaykh, regarding gathering the youth in a mosque or a home and agreeing to break the fast on that day, whether it is in Ramadan or on Mondays and Thursdays?
The Shaykh : No, the most important thing is agreeing to fast. The most important thing is agreeing to fast. We see that this is a principle that the Companions did not follow; they did not make appointments to fast on Monday or Thursday or the like. We fear that the matter will develop until it rises to something more severe. Then we compare them to the people of Sufism who agree on a specific dhikr (remembrance of Allah) that they perform in a group. Therefore, we say, for example, to the youth: whoever fasts tomorrow, the iftar (breaking of the fast) will be at so-and-so's place. There is nothing wrong with that. But agreeing to fast on a specific day is not from the way of the Companions. Then, for a person to accustom himself to not fasting unless others fast with him, that is a problem. For a person to fast voluntarily, whether others are with him or not, that is what the righteous Salaf (earliest generations) did.
The Shaykh : What?
The Shaykh : An issue with some educators of the youth regarding fasting itself.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : It was mentioned to you, O Shaykh, regarding gathering the youth in a mosque or a home and agreeing to break the fast on that day, whether it is in Ramadan or on Mondays and Thursdays?
The Shaykh : No, the most important thing is agreeing to fast. The most important thing is agreeing to fast. We see that this is a principle that the Companions did not follow; they did not make appointments to fast on Monday or Thursday or the like. We fear that the matter will develop until it rises to something more severe. Then we compare them to the people of Sufism who agree on a specific dhikr (remembrance of Allah) that they perform in a group. Therefore, we say, for example, to the youth: whoever fasts tomorrow, the iftar (breaking of the fast) will be at so-and-so's place. There is nothing wrong with that. But agreeing to fast on a specific day is not from the way of the Companions. Then, for a person to accustom himself to not fasting unless others fast with him, that is a problem. For a person to fast voluntarily, whether others are with him or not, that is what the righteous Salaf (earliest generations) did.